Poultry feeder



A. AMSTUTZ POULTRY FEEDER Jan. 6, 1953 2 SHEETSSHEET 1 Filed July 311951 7 a i m z w m ffllleri afimsZ'uZz ATTORNEYS Jan. 6, 1953 A. AMSTUTZ2,624,311

POULTRY FEEDER V I Filed July 51, 1951 2 SI-IEETS-SHEET 2 IN VENTOR /3 vI zfll fiefiflmsi uiz l a MEM ATTORNEY5 Patented Jan. 6, 1953 UNITEDSTATES PATENT OFFICE 4 Claims.

This invention relates to a poultry feeding device.

An object of this invention is to provide a poultry feeding device ofthe magazine type wherein the feed is automatically discharged into afeeding trough or pan, the device including adjustable regulating meansfor regulating the discharge of the material into the trough or pan.

Another object of this invention is to provide a poultry feeding devicehaving a stationary magazine or hopper, and one or more feeding troughsor pans beneath the hopper, the troughs being rockably mounted beneaththe magazine so that the feed will flow into the troughs or pans as thelatter are rocked by weight of the fowl standing on the troughs or pansor on supports projecting from the latter.

A further object of this invention is to provide in a device of thiskind, means whereby the feed will be agitated with rocking of thetroughs or pans in order to assure the flow of feed from the magazine tothe troughs or pans.

With the above and other objects in view, my invention consists in thearrangement, combination and details of construction disclosed in thedrawings and specification, and then more particularly pointed out inthe appended claims.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a detailed side elevation partly broken away and in sectionof a poultry feeder constructed according to an embodiment of thisinvention.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of Figure1.

Figure 3 is a plan view partly broken away of the device with the roofor top removed.

Figure 4 is a detailed end elevation partly broken away and in sectionof the device.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 5-5 of Figure1.

Figure 6 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken on the line6--6 of Figure 3.

Referring to the drawings the numeral I designates generally a framestructure which is formed of pairs of upright angle members II securedat their lower ends to a pair of horizontally disposed runners I2 havingupturned opposite ends l3 forming skids whereby the device may bedragged over the ground to an appropriate location. The frame structureID has secured between the end angle members I I a hopper or magazinegenerally designated as M.

The hopper or magazine I4 is formed of downwardly convergent side wallsl and vertically disposed end walls It, the latter being secured in anysuitable manner to the upright frame members II.

A roof I1 removalby engages over the upper end of the hopper magazine l4and is formed of upwardly convergent plates I8 having end members l9secured thereto and a ball 20 secured to the roof I'I midway between theends thereof. The magazine It also includes lower base plates 2i havingupwardy convergent edges 22 and the base plates 2 I' which are integralwith the end'walls I6 are secured to the inner sides of the framemembers I I.

A partition or dividing wall 23 is secured within the magazine It midwaybetween the ends thereof so as to divide the magazine I4 into a pair offeed receiving chambers 24 and 25, Fig. 3. The magazine It is open atthe bottom and one or more pans or troughs 26 are disposed below themagazine I4.

The troughs or pans 26 have a bearing 27 between the opposite side walls28 thereof, and a rod or shaft 29 extends through the bearing 21 andthrough the lower walls 2| so that the pans 26 will be rockably mountedbeneath the open lower end of the magazine It. Each pan or trough 26 hassecured to the bottom thereof a plurality of bars 30 which projectbeyond the walls 26 and provide means whereby the fowl may rest duringthe feeding from the pans or troughs.

The magazine I4 at each end thereof has secured thereto an inwardlyprojecting inverted L-shaped shield 3! which engages over the end walls32 of the pan 26 so that the feed moving downwardly in the magazine I4will not flow outwardly over the end walls 32 of the pan 26.

The partition 23 has secured to the opposite sides thereof a pair ofshields or deflectors 33 which project in offset relation into the panor trough 26. An inverted V-shaped divider 34 is secured between theshields or deflectors 3| and 33 and is disposed at the lower open end ofthe magazine I4 so that the feed will be directed in opposite directionsinto the trough 01' pan 26.

In order to provide a means whereby the amount of feed moving downwardlyby gravity into the pan 26 may be regulated, I have provided a pair ofplates 35 secured one to each of the side walls I5 at the lower edgesthereof, and each plate 35 is formed with a pair of elongated slots 36through which a securing bolt 31 engages, Fig. 6.

The plate 35 is formed with a plurality of V- shaped notches 38 in thelower edge thereof to provide for an additional quantity of feed flowinginto the pan 26.

The feed which is within the magazine I4 is adapted to be agitated asthe pan or trough 26 is rocked under the weight of fowl resting on thesupporting bars 30 by means of a pair of upwardly divergent agitatingmembers generally designated as 39. Each agitating member 89 is formedof an elongated rod ill! which is formed with an eye 4| at the lower endthereof and an L-shaped member 42 havin an opening 18 therein is adaptedto receive the eye so as to move the agitating member 39 upwardly anddownwardly as the pan or tray 26 is rocked. The rod or bar 40 hasprojecting therefrom a plurality of vertically spaced apart agitatingblades 4 which are adapted to agitate the feed as the bar 40 is movedendwise.

The upper end portion of the bar 36 loosely and slidably engages througha guide eye 35 which is carried by an inwardly projecting bracket 45secured to the side wall I5 adjacent the upper end portion of the sidewall Fig. 4.

In the use of this device the feed is discharged into the magazine Ifrom the upper end thereof, the top I! being removed. 'The feed willgravitate downwardly through the magazine 5 into the pan or trough 25.When the poultry is feeding from the pan or trough 25, the pan will berocked downwardly by weight of the poultry or fowl, and as pan 2% rocksdownwardly at one side thereof the agitating members 38 will move inopposite directions to each other.

Movement of the agitating members 39 will agitatethe feed in the lowerdischarge end of the magazine so that there will be an adequate supplyof feed in the pan or trough 25. The inverted V-shaped divider as willspread the feed to the opposite sides of the pan 2:3, and the amount offeed which is discharged into the pan 26 is regulated by the verticaladjustment of the feed regulatin plates 35.

This feeder may be used on the range or in a poultry house and willprovide a feeder which will prevent undue scattering of the feed andundue waste of the feed.

What is claimed is:

l. A poultry feeder comprising a frame, a magazine carried by saidframe, said magazine being open at the lower end thereof and havingdownwardly convergent side walls, a feed pan disposed beneath the openlower end of said magazine and having sides extending above thesurrounding said magazine lower end, horizontal pan supporting pivotmeans centrally supported below said open lower end, a pair of agitatingmembers disposed one on each side of said pivot means, the pivot meanscarrying the lower end of each member to said pan, said membersextending upwardly into said magazine, each spacedfrom and substantiallyparallel to a convergent wall, and guide means engaging said members andcarried by said magazine.

2. A poultry feeder as defined in claim 1, and a divider fixed in thelower end of said magazine, said agitating members respectivelyextending upwardly between the divider and the respective .convergentwalls of the magazine.

. on which the fowl may be supported while feeding from the pan.

ALBERT AMS'IUTZ.

REFERENCES CITED The following referencesare of record in the. file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES. PATENTS- Number Name Date 1,357,755 Wilch Nov. 2, 19201,417,212 Smidly- May 23, 1922 1,788,677 Kiel Jan. 13, 1931 1,875,230Forshee Aug. 30, 1932 1,881,820 McCollough et a1. Oct. 11, 19321,898,259 Soderstrom Feb. 21, 1933 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date479,544 Germany July 18, 1929

